Here's why your hypermobile body feels 'stiff as a board'
Have you ever wondered if you have hypermobility…
…yet your body feels FAR FROM IT??? 😐
Maybe you remember being able to do crazy party tricks as a kid but now you wake up with the stiffest of fingers.
Or perhaps your doctor scoffed at you when you couldn’t do that thumb trick on the Beighton Score and he denied you a diagnosis.
Now, if you 'failed' many of the traditional tests for hypermobility, you maaaay be thinking that there’s no way you are hypermobile…
👉 Not the case, my friend, pay close attention here!!!
Just because you don't have visually obvious hypermobility...
DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE HYPERMOBILITY IN YOUR HANDS / WRISTS!!!
You can feel ‘stiff as a board’... yet still be affected by hypermobility!
There are many reasons you're feeling stiff.
👇
Here are 3 factors that can decrease a joint's mobility:
1. Aging / arthritis
There have been several research studies that have actually found a link between hypermobility and the development of osteoarthritis in the hands later on. Here’s one I have found particularly interesting about thumb arthritis and the link with hypermobility.
Because hypermobility is largely still not understood by most medical professionals, many people go most of their lives not really ever realizing they are hypermobile, at least until they are well into their adult years!
Check out what some people in our community have shared about this:
These commenters were all in their 30s, 40s, and 50s when they first realized they have hypermobility - and several mentioned that while they remember being able to do certain hyperextended hand positions, they now can't due to their age.
2. Tight muscles is another factor that masks hypermobility in your hands
This is your body's mechanism for protecting itself and trying to provide more stability to your hypermobile joints. Your muscles are tightening up and over-contracting to try to do the job that your connective tissue is failing to do.
If you have tight muscles affecting your hands, you may get occasional or frequent hand cramps (for example, while writing or knitting).
Additionally, the muscles in your forearms feel continually knotted up and tight, and no matter how much you massage them…the knots keep coming back.
3. Individual differences is the third factor that can disguise hypermobility.
Differences in gender, anatomy, how your joints respond to the everyday forces and strains placed on them, and the activities you're doing regularly with your hands…
…all of these differences can impact your joint's mobility.
ADDITIONALLY, hypermobility shows up differently in everyone.
Some people have many or most of their joints affected by hypermobility (called ‘generalized joint hypermobility’); while others only have their hands and/or feet affected (called ‘peripheral joint hypermobility’). Others still may have less than 5 joints affected by hypermobility (called ‘localized joint hypermobility’).
By now, you should definitely recognize that hypermobility is a WIDE SPECTRUM and it looks different among EVERYONE!
👏 Stay tuned because next week you get to learn the 6 sneaky (think: NON-VISUAL) signs that hypermobility is driving your hand pain 👏
I’m willing to bet at least some of this resonates with you.
Will you comment below and let me know… do you feel like your hypermobility is masked by arthritis, tight muscles, or individual differences? (or all 3… lol a very valid response 😏)
PS -
if you want to test your hands for hypermobility, make sure you’ve tuned into my free masterclass! I walk you through the 7 steps to test your hands for hypermobility and you will walk away with actionable steps you can start making TODAY for happier hands 💛